Strasbourg (German: Straßburg, Alsatian: Strossburi) [17] is the capital of the Alsace region of France and is most widely known for hosting a number of important European institutions. It is also famous for its beautiful historical centre - the Grande Île - which was the first city centre to be classified entirely as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Understand

History

Strasbourg is located on the west bank of river Rhine, and has occupied a strategic position in the Upper Rhine Valley since prehistory. It was already settled from 1300 BC onwards, and developed into a Celtic market town named Argentorate. The Romans conquered the area around 12 BC, and renamed it to Argentoratum, and it developed into an important military base or castra, stationing the 8th Legion from 90 AD onwards.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Alsace was occupied by the Alemanni, a Germanic tribe, who eventually were absorbed into the Frankish empire. Somewhere in the Early Middle Ages, the town must have changed its name to Stratisburgum. After the split of the Frankish Empire in the 9th century, the Alsace became part of the Holy Roman Empire, and it stayed within the German empire until the 17th century, even when Strasbourg obtained the status of Free City in 1262.

Strasbourg was the site of one of the worst pogroms of the Middle Ages in 1349, when over a thousand Jews were publicly burned to death, and Jews were discriminated against and prosecuted until well into the 18th century.

Strasbourg was one of the first German cities to embrace the protestant, Lutheran faith in the early 16th century. Because of this, it became a centre of humanistic learning and book printing; the first newspaper in Europe was printed in Strasbourg. In 1681, the city was annexed by the French king Louis XIV, who profited from the chaos following the 30 Years' War in Germany. However, unlike in the rest of France, the protestant faith was not outlawed. Strasbourg's status as a free city ended with the French Revolution.

After the French-German war of 1870, the Germans annexed the city and applied a policy of Germanisation, leading to the exile of those preferring to stay French. After the German defeat in World War I, the city returned to France, and now it was the turn of the French to try to eradicate the traces of German occupation. During the Second World War, the Nazis considered the Alsatians as fellow-Germans, and many were forced to fight in the German army - a situation that led them to be falsely accused of collaboration after the war.

Today, Strasbourg is the ninth largest city of France with nearly half a million inhabitants in a metropolitan area spanning across the river into the German city of Kehl, on the eastern bank of the Rhine. The city itself is the seat of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the European Ombudsman, the Eurocorps, the European Audiovisual Observatory and, most famously, the European Parliament[18], which also holds sessions in Brussels.

Talk

The official language used in Strasbourg is French. The original language of Alsace however is called Alsatian, which is closely related to the Alemannic German dialects spoken in adjacent regions of Germany and Switzerland. It is still spoken by a considerable number of people in the region, especially in the countryside, although like all minority languages in France, it is struggling for survival. You will see few traces of it apart from bilingual street signs in the city centre. Native speakers of Alsatian will usually be able to speak German as well.

Get in

By plane

Strasbourg has its own airport (Strasbourg International Airport (SXB) [19]), but this is rather small and ticket prices are usually quite high. It is located south-west of the city at Entzheim, with domestic as well as international flights, mostly operated by Air France. There are several flights a day to and from Paris. A (not very frequent) train connects the airport to town center (travel time 9 min). You can buy tickets including connecting tram transport in town from the machines at the airport (€4.30, valid for 90 min). If you only need to get to the central station and can pay by card, buy your ticket on the platform (€2.60, instructions in French only).

Easyjet and other international carriers operate frequent flights to Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport (EAP) [20], near the Swiss border. From the airport you can take the shuttle bus to the train station of Saint-Louis (€2.50, travel time approx. 10 min), and take the local train to Strasbourg from there (€23.10, travel time approx. 1h20). Alternatively, Flixbus[21] offers a direct connection (€19.90, travel time approx. 1h50m), but this has to be booked in advance.

Ryanair and other low-cost carriers fly on Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (FKB) [22], some 60km away in Germany. The best way to get to Strasbourg is to take bus 285 to the railway station of Baden-Baden (€3.40, travel time approx. 25 min [23]). From there, you can take a local train to Strasbourg, changing at Appenweier (€13.40, travel time approx. 1h05 [24]).

Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) [25] is the nearest inter-continental airport. Lufthansa [26] operates a shuttle bus between Strasbourg and Frankfurt. Tickets can only be bought online at Lufthansa like any normal flight reservation: use FRA (Frankfurt Airport) and XER (Strasbourg Bus Station) as departure / arrival destination (€49, travel time approx. 2h30m). Alternatively, you can take the high-speed train connection, changing at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (€62, travel time approx. 2h [27]). By far the cheapest option however is Flixbus (€11, travel time approx. 3h10 [28]).

By train

Strasbourg railway station, with its glass sky dome

Strasbourg has high-speed (TGV) train connections to Paris and other major towns in France and adjacent countries. TGV trains are best booked well in advance to get the best prices, as these tend to rise closer to the travel date. Local trains are operated by TER Alsace, and connect to smaller towns around Strasbourg. Travel schedules can be consulted on the website of SNCF[29]. Deutsche Bahn also operates high-speed (ICE) and regional train connections to and from Germany [30]. It can pay off to compare prices between the French and German providers on the same route.

The following cities have direct TGV and/or ICE connections to Strasbourg. These are not all be very frequent, though, so make sure to plan your journey well.

The railway station is located on the west-side of the town center, where you will also find the main tram station and other public transport connections. It is impressively renovated with a glass cocoon frontage, which, unfortunately, hides the beautiful neo-classicist building inside from view during the day. At night, however, it is a pretty sight when illuminated.

The square in front of the railway station is, unfortunately, not the safest place in Strasbourg, so you are advised to take good care of your belongings.

By car

You can reach Strasbourg by various highways:

from the west (Paris, Benelux) taking the A4 highway (E25). About 4 hours from Paris and 2 hours 15 minutes from Luxembourg.

from the south (Switzerland, Lyon), taking the A35 highway (E25). About 5 hours from Lyon

from the north and east (Germany), taking the A5 highway (E35).

Driving into Strasbourg's old city is relatively easy although there are a few streets off limits to cars. There are many large garages surrounding the old city if your hotel does not have its own parking facility. Some carparks are more expensive than other, especially for longer stays.

By bus

Eurolines [31] provides bus services to the city. Services call at the new bus stop situated at the entrance of the center, few meters from the Etoile-Bourse tram stop.

Get around

Strasbourg is most easily explored on foot, and the historic city centre can easily be explored in a day or two. To be able to cover more ground, you should consider hiring a bike or using the public transport network.

By bike

Strasbourg is ideal for cycling - the city center is flat and there are plenty of bike lanes and bike paths. You can rent bikes at:

By bus and tram

Buses and trams in Strasbourg are operated by the Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS) [34]. A few dozen numbered bus lines and six tram lines (named A to F) serve the city. A single ticketing system covers both bus and tram. Tickets are sold in 'tabacs' (newsagents), tourist offices, CTS boutiques or from vending machines at tram stops. Tickets should be validated before use, either in the machines on tram station platforms or in the machine by the driver when you board the bus.

Summary of fares (as of Sept 2015):

Aller Simple (one way) € 1.70

10 x Aller Simple € 14.00

24H Individuel (24hr ticket for one person) € 4.30

Trio (one day ticket for up to three people) € 6.80

If using the buses and/or trams a lot, Europass tickets are available from all automatic ticket machines and are valid on all local tram and bus services (including those that cross the border to Kehl) for either 24 hours or seven days.

See

Strasbourg is a popular tourist destination primarily thanks to the beautifully preserved and pedestrian friendly city centre, which can be explored on foot or bicycle in a few days. Don't forget that Strasbourg's appeal now brings tourists to the city throughout the year, with large tour groups especially frequent during the summer months and during the annual winter market. Staying for a few days will allow you to see the city when it's calmest, first thing in the morning and during the evening. Free entry to all museums and the cathedral platform (320 steps, 66m) on the first Sunday of every month.

The main Tourist Office[35] is located on Place de la Cathédrale, with a smaller office in the concourse level of the railway station. Both are open 09h00 to 19h00.

Tours

The tourist office sells a variety of self-guided walking tours through the town (Middle Ages, Renaissance, Modern and Contemporary) for €1 each, and also arranges bike tours through the Faubourgs (the suburbs of Neudorf and Neuhof). Maps, brochures and last minute accommodation are also available.

Water-bus tours are available near the Palais des Rohans (south of the cathedral). Those tours (about 45 min.) run around the town center and the European district.

Segway®: You can also visit Strasbourg on a Segway®. 2 companies:

Onecity-Tours ( http://www.onecity-tours.com/ +33 9 84 46 39 24). The tours (30min to 2h) start at the agency located 5 petite rue du vieux marché aux vins, which is opened every day and bank holidays from 10AM and 8PM (earlier and later tours are also available at request).

Mobilboard Strasbourg Segway Tours, Austerlitz Street 16, ☎+33 03 67 10 33 04 ([email protected]). www.mobilboard.com/strasbourg[1], Open every day from 9am to 8pm. Tours starting from 15€. The largest choice of tours from 30min to 2h. Agency located near Batorama pier.

Districts

Grand Île

Cathédrale Notre Dame. Built between 1176 and 1439 and with a 142 metre tower (the highest cathedral tower in France), the cathedral is undoubtedly Strasbourg's finest architectural highlight. Visitor can also walk up to the viewing platform cathedral platform (320 steps, 66m) for a spectacular view of the city. Just near-by on place du Château is the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre Dame [36]- a splendid museum of medieval religious art related to the cathedral.

Astrometric Clock in the cathedral. Be sure to get there at noon to watch the clock change hours. The event in itself is very short and can be under whelming unless the spectator keeps in mind that it is truly an amazing feat for a nearly 300 year old clock. When standing in front of the clock, be sure to look up and to your left to see the statue of the clock's architect looking at his masterpiece.

Maison Kammerzell (XVth century) (to the left of the front of the cathedral)

Palais des Rohan, French style palace, built after the acquisition of the town by the French (1681). Home to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts.

L'Opera the beautiful baroque style opera house and home to the city's famous opera company L'Opera National du Rhin. They do stunning productions with really wonderful, young talent. Located at the Broglie tram stop.

Musée Alsacien, 23-25, quai Saint-Nicolas (just across the river from the Ancienne Douane), ☎+33 03 88 52 50 01. Closed on Tuesday. This museum features articles from the daily lives of Alsatian peoples from the 13th to 19th centuries: clothing, furniture, toys, tools of artisans and farmers, and religious objects used in Christian, Jewish, and even pagan rites. The exhibits are in rooms connected by wooden staircases and balconies in adjacent multistory Renaissance-era houses around a central courtyard.€6.

Petite France

Petite France

Petite France is the name given to the small area between the rivers, just south of the Grande Île. It is home to some of Strasbourg's prettiest and most photogenic streets and buildings, with half timbered townhouses (maison a colombages) leaning out over the narrow cobbled streets. Petite France resembles Colmar (a city an hour south), with picturesque canal and half-timber houses.

Elsewhere in Strasbourg

European Parliament

Orangerie - a beautiful classical park. It has a small free zoo featuring birds and a few other animals. Also has an excellent playground for young children.

Stockfeld, garden city built in the early XXth century in the south-east of the Neuhof (southern part of the town) (bus line 24)

European district (bus lines 6, 30, 72) :

Council of Europe's seat (Le Palais de l'Europe) (1977), built by Henry Bernard

European Court of Human Rights (1995), built by Richard Rogers

European Parliament (1999), built by Architecture Studio

ARTE Television [37] headquarters. 4, quai du Chanoine Winterer, near the European district.

Place de la République - A central crossroad encircled by neoclassical public buildings

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art - recommended also because of the interesting building

Historical Museum (3.5€/2.5€) - A very nice and interactive museum of Strasbourg's history from early medieval days to the founding of the European Union. All displays are tri-lingual with German and English. The free audio guide(2.5 hours) is a very nice addition to the spectacle and enhances the experience. Absolutely recommended even if visitor wishes to only some parts that are of personal interest.

Grande synagogue de la Paix, located on Avenue de la Paix. Built after WWII since the original synagogue was destroyed. Security is tight, and it can be difficult to get inside, but it is a beautiful building. Parc des Contades is the tram stop.

Cite de la musique et de la danse, the Strasbourg Conservatory of Music and Dance. Located at 01 Rue de Dauphine, the building is meant to look like a swan. The building offers free or cheap concerts of their students and also of other wonderfully talented musicians if you're lucky enough to be there during a festival or event.

L'Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, plays concerts almost every week.

Do

Christmas Fair in Strasbourg

Strasbourg old town facades

Christmas markets can be found in many places, but the most important and beautiful are place Broglie and place de la Cathédrale, although they are crowded. They are the best places to drink hot wine (vin chaud) and to eat Christmas cookies (Brädeles).

The city offers many cultural events as well. There are dozens of museums, concerts- both free and not-so-free, operas, ballet, and more. The city is vibrant with a huge political scene and a very large University. It is a wonderful city to be a student. The cafes and brasseries are welcoming and the locals are very friendly. They are receptive to all languages, but always try to use French when you can.

The Conservatory, Opera, Ballet, and Orchestra put on festivals at many different times of the year. In the Summers, there are nearly always markets where you can buy local food, used books, local art, and flea market type items. The Summer Markets are almost as wonderful as the Christmas Markets, just not as well decorated. There is almost always an act (or a protest) going on in front of la Cathedrale or in Place Kleber.

Even when there are no special events on in Strasbourg, a rare occurrence, walking around the old town is a very nice way to pass a day. Make a point to go into the churches and take a look at the historic art and organs. Sometimes you can hear an organ or choir rehearsal happening and the doors are usually unlocked. And there are lots of good cafes to stop and rest in as you make your tour.

Buy

From time to time, the city organizes a general market in vast parts of the center, where many street vendors offer various products and the shops join in with special discounts. Then, the city center on the island is partly closed for parking or driving and the trams don't go on the rue des Francs Bourgeois. The 29th July 2006 and the 24th July 2010 (both on Saturday) were such a day, information about regular market dates is hard to find on the net. If you manage to track down the date of this market, write it here and don't miss it.

There is a marché aux Puces (flea market, antique sellers) on rue de Vieil-Hôpital on Wednesday and Saturdays. The Place des Halles, 24, place des Halles, is a shopping center with over 100 shops and restaurants north of the city center, but within walking distance. Open Mon-Fri 09:00 to 20:00, and Saturdays until 20:00.

A new shopping centre, Rivetoile, opened at the end of 2008 at Place d'etoile, in between the Etoile Polygone and Etoile Bourse tram stops. This new development has shops similar to Place des Halles as well as higher budget shops and a selection of cafes.

Try Galeries Lafayettes at rue du 22 Novembre and Printemps at 1-5 rue de la Haute Montée. Rue Hellebardes and Gutenberg offer designer clothes and men's clothes. Bruno Saint Hilaire has designer clothes for men and a shop in 8, rue Gutenberg. There is a low-budget, secondhand clothing shop in 6, rue de la Lanterne, and various gadget shops can be found in rue des Juifs.

For cheap groceries, including local wines and beers, try one of the three outlets of NORMA, a German discount chain whose three outlets are conveniently located at the corner of rue St Michel and rue Ste Marguerite near the central train station; at 79, Grand'Rue near the center of Grand Île; and at 27, rue des Frères near the Cathedral. Open Mon-Fri 10 am to 8 pm, Sat 9:30 am to 7 pm. An even better option is the COOPAlsace and PointCOOP located around the city. They sell very local wines at great prices.

Eat

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Alsatian specialties are numerous and can be eaten in many traditional restaurants, in the city or in the neighborhood. Particularly you shouldn't visit Alsace without having the sauerkraut (choucroute in French). Choucroute seems to have a standard price throughout Alsace of 14 Euros. Don't be too dismayed by this seemingly high price as what is brought to you is heaping plate of Sauerkraut (big enough for 2 people) as well as sausages and other meats. This is usually translated as "garnished sauerkraut" on English menus, when in doubt ask your server. Other specialties include the Alsatian pork-butcher's meat, Flammeküche or flams (tartes flambées in French) which is a sort of wafer thin pizza made with onion-cream sauce, Baeckeoffe, beef and pork stew cooked, with potatoes and carrots, usually served for two or more persons and Fleischnackas, mixed beef meat presented like spirals and served with salads.

Traditional restaurants

A l'ancienne douane ('At the old customs house') on rue de la Douane, near the cathedral, next to the Ill river. A big restaurant for tourist groups. You are almost sure to find a place here even if you have no reservation. Mid-range prices. [38]

Au petit bois vert, 1, Quai de la Bruche, in the Petite France district, serves well-prepared flams and Alsatian specialties in a small room with smiling waiters. The chef usually comes by at the end of the evening. Great terrace during the summer under a big tree on the bank of the river. No reservation, mid-range prices.

Au Dauphin, 13, place de la Cathédrale (on the corner of cathedral square next to Hotel de la Cathédrale; look for a red awning and walk through the inner courtyard to get to it), ☎+33 0388 21 01 46 ([email protected], fax: +33 0388 21 03 87). Try the choucroute aux trois poissons; it is very fresh and a wonderful take on the traditional sauerkraut dish. They also serve the traditional choucroute garnie, with up to seven types of meat, including headcheese (brawn). Mostly a tourist place [39]

Le Sanglier ('The boar'), on rue du Sanglier in the Carré d'Or district, near the cathedral. A small restaurant with a traditional setting. If you want a Baeckoffe, you must inform the restaurant 24h before. Mid-range prices.

Winstub La Vigne, 14, rue de Sébastopol (across the street from the Mc Donald's at Les Halles shopping center), ☎+33 03 88 220109. This charming and friendly winstub has more moderate prices than its counterparts in La Petite France or near the cathedral, with choucroute garnie and baeckoffe under €15 and bottles of Alsatian wine for about €20.[40]

Modern restaurants

Mooze, on rue de la Demi-lune near Place Kleber: sushi restaurant. Sushi moves on a conveyor belt in front of you.

Une Fleur des Champs on 4, rue des Charpentiers. Organic and vegetarian food and beverage, a delicious and varied menu concocted daily from fresh produce and meat sellers in the area. They also offer bulk goods and produce for sale. Prices are modest and portions are large in a quiet, family style atmosphere.

Christians a modern style teestube with delicious desserts, coffees, and lunch. A bit pricier, but there are two of them in Strasbourg. One is right by la Cathedrale and it is always busy.

Budget

Au Brasseur, 22, rue des Veaux. This a restaurant and microbrewery. Try one of their beers and a tarte flambé for about €10. Has a small children's menu.

Al Boustane on rue de la Krutenau. This Lebanese restaurant features sandwiches and kebabs.

Chez Patrick on Avenue des Voges. They have delicious lunch sandwiches on fresh baguette. The best is their mozzarella, pesto, and tomato sandwich. They also have great coffee.

Flams on rue des Frères near the Cathédrale. [41] Serves a great variety of flams (tartes flambés) and has an amazing winelist for a budget joint. Part of a restaurant franchise.

Le Frangin two doors down from Flam's on Rue des Frères serves a wide range of home-cooked pasta and pizzas at reasonable prices. Pizza and pasta main courses range from €8-9, meat dishes €14-15 and an Alsatian beer €2.50. The owner is friendly and the food is good, satisfying Italian cooking.

La Gallia, on quai du Maire Dietrich near the Gallia tramway station (C-line). The oldest university restaurant in France, in a 19th-century building, built by the Germans (which explains the ceiling decorations). It is the last French university restaurant that is managed by students. Not a culinary triumph, but very affordable.

Zorba on rue de Zurich. This little Greek restaurant in the Krutenau area features sandwiches, souvlaki, and kebabs.

Snack au Soleil on rue de General Zimmer. ONe of the best pizza and kebab in the town. Affordable prices for students.

Mid range

Chez Tante Lisele, Grand'Rue. Very friendly.

Chez Yvonne, (in the Carré d'Or district, near the cathedral). Usually frequented by Jacques Chirac, when he comes to Strasbourg, because of its well-known tête de veau (cooked veal head). Attended by european deputees and people on business meetings. More expensive.

La Boucherie, 4, Rue du Vieux Marché aux Vins. This chain restaurant is kid-friendly, with a small children's menu, highchairs, and a toy and colouring book for young children, and will satisfy a craving for red meat at a reasonable price.

La Stub, 4, rue du Saumon (just one block from the Vox cinema on rue des Francs Bourgeois in the center of Grand Ile). Modern soul-less version of the alsacian restaurant, features Fischer brews for €2-3 and tartes flambés for €7-8.

Drink

Beer: Alsace is the first beer-producing region of France and Strasbourg has many breweries. Best known are Kronenbourg and Fischer. The only large independent brewery left in Alsace is Meteor producing pils, lager and specials on christmas and spring.

Alsatian white wine: usually drunk with Alsatian food, but also with fish. The main varieties are Gewürtztraminer (meaning spicy, usually sweet sometimes sugary, usually drunk as an apetizer or with dessert or foie gras), Riesling (very dry, considered the best/more complex), Pinot blanc (half dry), Pinot Gris (sweet), Sylvaner (dry and cheap) and Edelzwicker (half dry, actually a mix of the others, cheap and popular). They have a particularly floral flavour and are well worth investigating.

Sleep

There are many hotels around the station, especially in the place de la Gare and in the rue du Maire Kuss, but this area does not offer consistent quality for accommodations. Most international hotel chains are represented with the usual 2 or 3 star hotels, many of which host the large tour groups who come on weekend breaks. If your budget allows, try staying on the Grande Île (city centre). Most of Strasbourg's hotels are fully booked during the Christmas Market period (December) and when the EU parliament is in session for a few days every month, usually for the period around the tenth. Book ahead if in doubt, as last minute accommodation can be difficult to find during these periods.

Auberge de Jeunesse des Deux Rives [43] Rue des Cavaliers. Twenty minutes bus ride from town and fifteen minutes from the European Institutions, this youth hostel is located in a leafy suburb close to the Rhine. Tel : (+33)388455420 Fax : (+33)388455421.

PV-Holidays Adagio Strasbourg Place Kleber +33 1 58 21 55 84, Self-catering apartments situated in the heart of the historical quarter of the “Grande île”, just 10 minutes walk from the TGV station. Each of the 57 apartments sleep 2-4 people, are air-conditioned and completely fitted out: kitchen, television with international channels, etc.Located in the centre of the Alsatian capital makes this Aparthotel an ideal stopover location for business trips or for a long weekend. Car park less than 300m away.

Hotel Cathédrale, 12-13 Place de la Cathedrale (right across from the cathedral), ☎+33 03 88 221212 (fax: +33 03 88 322302), [6]. Best location of any hotel in Strasbourg, stylishly decorated, and more affordable for rooms without views of the cathedral.€55-150.

Stay Safe

Strasbourg is one of the safest large cities in France and the tourist has little to fear. Of course the standard precautions apply: watch out for pickpockets near the Cathedral (and inside, according to the signs) during the high tourist season. But in general the city of Strasbourg is not known for violence.

Contact

Phone

Local mobile phone services are provided by Orange, SFR and Bouygues Télécoms. Payphone kiosks are plentiful and international calling cards can be purchased in post offices and 'tabacs' (corner shops). Most of the internet cafés listed below are also equipped for making online telephony calls (Skype etc).

Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!